


Kings and Kingdoms

by wheresnirvana



Category: Youtuber RPF
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fantasy & Reality, Fate & Destiny, Gen, Kingdoms, Royalty, Slow Burn, a little comedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-16 14:55:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18693745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wheresnirvana/pseuds/wheresnirvana
Summary: They have heard the tale of the four kings and the kingdoms to where they reigned, but they never think beyond the story to be real. Until they discover the kingdoms by themselves, and how they will be tied up to the prophecy of their newfound world.





	1. A Tale of Four Kings

**Author's Note:**

> This is originally the second fanfiction that I ever posted on this site, but since I deleted the first one this will be my first fanfiction I posted here.
> 
> Reproducing this work in AO3 or other online-writing sites and claiming it as your own is considered as plagiarism. If I find out any reproduced work in any sites, I will not hesitate to report you. If you want this posted to other sites, though, please send me a message as permission to post this to your account/s in other sites.

**(The 1st Chapter of Part 1: The Journey Commences)**

* * *

“Do you want to hear a story?”

Alex, James, Fraser and Will all nodded their heads. They were huddled together in a circle, with the woman sitting in the middle. Alex and Will positioned with their legs folded close to their chests. James sat with his legs crossed, and Fraser only lay with his stomach flat on the hardwood floor, putting both hands under his chin.

Though they were somewhat in their early to mid-teen years, they liked to come to the woman and listen to her narrate stories, as if they were still little boys. Still innocent of the world they were living in, and still naïve of what adults would tell to them.

“Alright then.” The woman smiled as she adjusted to her seat, pulling her legs up to her chest as well and tucking her ankle-length skirt. “Far in the northern places, before all modern civilization had took place,” she started, “there once lived four different men in four different kingdoms. But they all shared the same thing; they were the rulers of each kingdom, loved and adored by all people who lived under their rule. Each of these four kings had possessed different virtues, and even their kingdoms were named after their virtues.

“The ruler of the kingdom of Animo was fierce and courageous. He would never step away from the battles; instead, he would do in his power to conquer them. Never in his life had he quake and tremble under the sight of his enemies — in fact, his enemies would be the ones to faint at the sight of him. Imagine them collapsing to the ground when they are on the battlefield, and that king would have an easy win.”

The boys chuckled a little at the last words, and this made the woman smile more. “He would lead other men in battles as well,” she continued, “and trained them to become as strong and brave as he was. He even let the women join their troops as well, as he believed women were as powerful as the men were. The people admired him for that, and the children looked up to him as their hero.”

The woman paused to get some air, and then tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “The ruler of the kingdom of Sapientium,” she continued, “had the widsom that even piles upon piles of books would not amount to it. He could see a vision of what his kingdom would be under his rule, and he would come up with everything he could think of to flourish it. For years he had made advanced irrigation ways on crop fields, faster transportation to bring their produce and trading materials to other kingdoms, and weaponry that would aid the troops in battles. You might think he was eager to make his plans come to life, but he did not create those advancements in a snap of a finger without knowing what his own people would think of his plans.

“He believed people were as capable of having their own intelligence as he did. So he had all the children gathered in his castle, and he would teach them how to read and write, nurture their minds to become something great and wonderful. He also had all the adults gathered in his castle and taught them on how to make wise decisions and to make wise judgments on serious issues around their kingdom. He would choose a few selected ones — those who were wise beyond their years, old or young — to become his advisers, his right-hand people in his kingdom.”

The woman paused to take yet another air in her lungs. James, who had gone to get a glass of water from across the room, went back to the woman and handed the glass to her before he went back on his position. The woman thanked him as she took it, and had a sip of water.

“What about the other two?” Alex asked.

The woman turned to him, giving him a smile. “Patience, my dear,” she told him. “I will narrate the other two rulers and their kingdoms. About those...” She paused for the third time, taking another sip of the water and then putting the glass down beside her.

“The ruler of the kingdom of Candoris,” she then said, “had a heart of gold. He loved to lend a hand to those in need of his help. Not a day passed without offering food, clothes, and other necessities to the poor families — he even had other people built shelters for those who did not have houses to live on. He included all the people, whether they are poverty-stricken or full of wealth, ill or full of health, short or tall, black or white. He loved to play and tell stories with the children, and he loved to gather the adults and preach about the importance of teaching their children to be kind and compassionate to one another. Sounds like a priest would do, wouldn't it?”

Another pause. “But he was no priest. He was simply a man of royalty who had passion to help and befriend his people. His people radiated his exceptional kindness to other people as well, whether at those were living amongst them, or at those who were from other kingdoms.”

Fraser raised his hand. Before the woman would acknowledge it, he went ahead saying, “Won't he realize that some of his people might use his kindness to their advantage?”

The woman furrowed her eyebrows. “What do you mean by that?” she asked. “I mean, none of his people would betray his kindness.”

“What if they are pretending to be kind?” Fraser said.

At this, the woman nodded a little. “Good assumption,” she said. “But if the king would find out about this, he would simply talk about it with them and then forgive them if they asked an apology.”

Fraser grimaced. “Why would he do such a thing?”

“Why would he not do as such?” the woman told him.

“No.” Fraser shook his head. “I mean, he should do something more than just accept their apology and move on with their lives. He should —”

“Hey, let Miss Forester finish the story.” Alex cut him off. “I want to know who's the last king is.”

“Alex.” The woman, now referred to as Miss Forester, turned to the youngest boy in the room. “Have patience. You will hear more of the story, eventually.”

Alex, who turned to her as well, nodded. “Yes, Miss Forester,” he said, “I'm sorry.”

Miss Forester smiled once more. “It's alright.” She then turned to the other boys, well, particularly at Fraser. “And in the kingdom of Candoris, nobody would ever so much as betray their king and the morals he taught. They knew it could throw their kingdom into chaos and ruin if they do something that is opposed to their morals behind the king's back. 

“And the king himself,” she added, “believed that punishment should not be reinforced upon the wrongdoers as it would contradict the virtue he had preached to his people. He believed in giving them discipline as a father would do to his own child. Do you understand?”

Fraser only nodded. He had nothing else to say. Alex, James and Will had nothing to say about it, either.

“Good,” Miss Forester said. “Now I must continue. The ruler of the kingdom of Justum had a firm grasp on just and fair treatment on his people. Never in his life did he favor those who were among the royalty and the gentry, nor did he made the middle-class and the poor feel they were of no worth. Whether you were a nobleman or a farmer, if you had made a repercussion that affected the kingdom, he would give you a fair punishment. If you had been obedient with the laws set upon him, he would reward you with gifts that he thought you would truly need.”

“So you get something good if you do good,” Alex said, just before Miss Forester would continue, “and you get something bad if you do bad?”

“Yes, it is.” Miss Forester smiled. “He also set laws that he saw would fit for his people and would maintain order and peace in his kingdom. He never set laws that would be of his own benefit and cause chaos among the people, as it would contradict his own principle. Though you perhaps would think he was very rigorous, he was not forcing his people to follow what or what not he wanted them to do. He let them practice their own freedom and independence, be whoever they desire to — an artisan, a nobleman, even a knight. He would select a few people to be his courtiers, his right-hand, those whom he deemed would fulfill their roles dutifully and would live on his principle.”

Miss Forester then took the glass from beside her, drank some water, and set it down again on the same spot. 

“The four kings had fulfilled their roles, and left the legacies on their kingdoms for the people to remember by, should they pass on and the rightful ones would inherit their thrones. Their kingdoms ruled under one harmony, and never did the kings start a war against each other. In fact, they considered themselves as part of their kin, as friends, as brothers. Like all of you.”

Alex, James, Fraser and Will looked and smiled at one another.

“But as much as I would like to narrate how they lived prosperous and fruitful lives,” Miss Forester then stated, making the boys look back at her, “all peace was shattered. The day the four kings vanished without a trace, the day people were thrown into an ultimate chaos, the day everything went berserk. That was the time darkness had took over the four kingdoms, and they never saw the light. They never found the kings who vanished, and they found themselves lost and helpless.”

The boys were silent. So was Miss Forester, who smoothed her hand on the skirt and rested it on the lap. “It has been like this for several years now,” she said, “and until now, nobody has found hope; they already had given up a long time ago. They had lived the rest of their lives in pity and despair. The old generations passed on without seeing improvement on the situation, and the new generations are being raised by the chaos surrounding them.”

“What happened to those kings?” James asked.

“No one has knowledge of it,” Miss Forester told him, “until to this day.”

“What will happen to those people?” Will asked. “Will they just die? The kingdoms will be gone, like —” he made a gesture indicating an explosion “— poof?”

Miss Forester shook her head. “That is where you are wrong,” she told him. “One day, a scroll was found by the people of Candoris. A scroll which contained a prophecy, that four young men, the rightful ones, would come down from the heavens and take the thrones in each kingdoms. The thrones that the former kings had abandoned several years ago. This rekindled the hope that the people had lost for so long, and so they had spread the prophecy to the other kingdoms. The people of Justum, Animo and even Sapientium could only hope for the arrival of these four men, their only salvation from the darkness they were succumbed into, after the kings had abandoned them several years ago.”

“Oh cool,” James said. “So who are these men, then?”

Miss Forester gazed upon him for a moment, and then said, “I could not make some assumptions on who they would be. For all I know, they could even be you and your friends.”

James wanted to ask more, but then he, along with everyone in the room, heard a small knocking on the door. They turned toward the other woman, who had her head peeked through the opened door frame. “Miss Forester,” she said, “I need a word with you for a moment.”

“Yes, Miss Horan.” Miss Forester then got up, smoothed her skirt again and turned to the boys who were now getting up and dusting themselves. “You may go, young men. I will be having a word with Miss Horan.”

“Will you continue the story?” Alex asked. James, Will and Fraser already headed out, but he stayed and stared at Miss Forester as he asked that question.

Miss Forester smiled down as she approached at the youngest boy. She had her hands cupping the sides of his small face, her eyes staring at his. It was like a mother looking down at her child. 

“We will see.”


	2. Four Boys and a Maiden

**(The 2nd Chapter of Part 1: The Journey Commences)**

* * *

Alex swung on the swing higher and higher with all his might, but he could only swing high enough to reach Will, who was standing close beside him. Well, close enough to be hit on the head with his feet.

“Move off, Will!” Fraser said. He was sitting on another swing next to Alex, but unlike him he only sat there, watching his friends do their own businesses. “You'll get kicked in the face.”

At this, Will turned to Fraser and gave him a middle finger.

Fraser rolled his eyes. “That's quite mature of you.”

Will put down his finger and sighed. “Leave me alone,” he told him as he remained on his position, sliding his hands in the pockets of his blue jeans. Alex continued swinging as high as he could, making the whole swing set rock and squeak with his movements. Almost enough to swing Fraser as well.

James, who was sitting beside Fraser on the grass, only watched him and Will bickering for a moment before he went back on his guitar. He began strumming tunes of a song he had in his memory, the song he wanted to play earlier, but he got stuck on one tune and had to repeat it to get it right.

“Stop playing your guitar,” Will said, “you can't even play that good!”

James stopped strumming his guitar and turned to glare at him. “Fuck off!”

“Don't ‘fuck off’ me!” Will pointed an accusatory finger at James. “You had no right.”

“You had the right to mind your own bloody business!” James yelled.

“Can you guys please not fight here?” Fraser turned to Will, and then turned to James, as he said those words. “Please?”

Will looked away as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Why are we even staying on the playground?”

“Because Alex,” James said as he placed the guitar on his lap, “wanted to play on the swings and he's still a child, so...”

At this, Alex dragged his feet on the ground, slowing him from swinging too fast until he stopped eventually. He turned to his friends. “Did someone call my name?”

“No, nothing,” Fraser told him. “We're just talking.”

Alex did not answer. He turned away from them as he bent down to clutch on his legs, groaning and grimacing. His three friends glanced at him.

“What's wrong?” Fraser asked.

Alex turned to his friends again, still grimacing. “My legs hurt.”

“You just stopped the swing with your legs,” Will told him. “That's why.”

“How long do we wait for Miss Forester?” James asked. He then placed the guitar next to him and stared up at the sky. “Think it's already getting dark.”

“You're right,” Fraser said as he looked at his wristwatch. The leather strap was worn, if one would take a closer look of it. “It's fifteen minutes to six o'clock.”

“I want some chips,” Alex said, still holding onto his aching legs.

“Goddammit,” Will then said as he threw his hands up, “now I'm getting hungry.”

“We're all getting hungry, mate,” James ran his fingers through his hair. “Haven't had some pizza in a while.”

Fraser turned and nudged him on the shoulder. “Think you can tell Miss Forester about that?” he said. “She didn't even know what ice cream is.”

At this, James scoffed. “She doesn't even know restaurants exist,” he added. “Or fast food. Or other food shops.”

“Or that,” Will chimed in, “we had this thing called ‘food delivery service’.”

Alex looked up. His hands were now back on the chains of the swing he was sitting on. “We don't even have a phone.”

“Bet she doesn't even know how to use it!” James said.

A pause. “Come to think of it,” Fraser said, turning to all his friends, “she doesn't even know what electricity is.”

Will nodded. “Yep,” he said. “I mean, we only use candles at night, we use firewood to cook food, we even have to heat up the water before we take a bath. Hell, we don't even have the telly or the computer in that house!”

“Do you ever think,” James, who was now busy putting his guitar back in the case, said, “that she lives under a rock for too long?”

“I mean,” Fraser added, “she has a house miles away from civilization.”

“And we live in there,” Will said.

Alex, noticing the lack of attention given to him, frowned. “I want chips!”

Will turned to him and smacked him on the head. “Shut yer mouth!”

Fraser glanced at Will, eyes wide in horror. “Don't smack him on the head, Will!” he told him. “Christ.”

Will pointed an accusatory finger again, this time at Alex. “He just yelled!”

“That's child abuse.” James stared at Will and crossed his arms over his chest. “Now go apologize to him.”

Will opened his mouth to protest, but then he hesitated. He then sighed as he turned to Alex, who clutched his hand on his aching head. “Sorry, mate,” he said as he embraced with one arm — he did not let Alex go off the swing, for some reason — and patted him on the shoulder. “Won't happen again, I promise.”

They fell silent, thinking of nothing else to do, until they noticed Miss Forester coming toward them. James picked up his guitar case and stood. Fraser and Alex got off the swings. Will let go of Alex and approached Miss Forester, offering to carry the bag for her.

Alex followed Will and stood next to Miss Forester. “Are we going to walk home again?”

Miss Forester turned to him and smiled. “Of course, my dear.” She placed her hand on his head, as if giving him a pat, and then turned to the other boys. “How are you young men doing?”

“Good,” Fraser told her, as he and James trailed behind Will. James did not say a word as he put on the strap of his guitar case over him, but only returned the smile at Miss Forester.

“Shall we go?” Miss Forester asked.

So they all headed out the playground and went on to the streets, the boys — except for Alex, who let Miss Forester wrap her arm around his shoulders — going ahead of the woman. The streets were surrounded by some trees and bushes, their leaves shedding from the branches and falling down onto the concrete below. To any people who would happen to notice them walk by, they were just a mother and her teenage sons doing a casual stroll around town. 

As they crossed and continued on the other street, a rusty pickup truck drove by and parked on the side just as it went ahead of them. The boys stopped and turned to Miss Forester, who also stopped, looked back at them, and then looked at the pickup truck. She saw a man going down from the truck and smiling as he turned to her.

“Nice to see you again, Madame,” he said, hobbling toward them. “You too, lads.”

Alex stepped back, removing himself from Miss Forester's grasp, and then he stood behind James and Will. Though he already met the man a few times already, for some reason he wanted to shrink at the sight of his tall and heavy stature. He was reminded of a version of Frankenstein, with pale white skin instead of sickly green, limbs and other body parts attached without any stitches, and hair absent on his head.

“I'll give you a ride to your house,” the man said, smiling, “if you don't mind.”

“Sounds delightful.” Miss Forester clasped her hands together and smiled back at him. “I'm forever indebted to your kindness.”

James, who stood in between Fraser and Will, nudged Fraser on the side and turned to him as he said, in a whisper, “Can she ever speak normal for once?”

“Don't say that,” Fraser told him, matching the tone of his voice with James'. “Not when she's round.”

Both boys heard Miss Forester ushering them to go with her to the man's pickup truck, so they let Will and Alex go ahead and then follow them. “Sorry,” James said, “it's just that, it's really weird.”

Fraser rolled his eyes. “Tell me about it.”

“Is there something both of you want to discuss about?”

At this, James and Fraser both glanced at Miss Forester. The door to the backseat of the truck was already opened, as Will and Alex hopped in. 

James and Fraser shook their heads. “No, Miss Forester.” They then hopped in as well — James removed the strap of the guitar case off him and placed the case on the trunk, before he went in after Fraser.

Miss Forester only sighed and spun her heels, reaching her hand to open the door to the passenger's seat and climbed in. Nobody spoke as the truck started up again and drove back on the road.

Alex, who managed to sit next to the window (which he and Will fought about earlier, but Will decided to give up and let him win), leaned his head on the window and gazed up at the sky. Will, sitting beside him, slumped his shoulders on the seat and sprawled his legs, eyes closed as he was taking a nap. James had his head on Fraser's shoulder, as he wanted to take a nap as well, while Fraser looked out the other window with his arms crossed on his chest.

Alex looked away from the window and turned to Fraser, who looked back at him for some reason. “What do you think of the story earlier?”

Fraser furrowed his eyebrows. “What?”

“That story,” Alex told him, “about the four kings?”

Hearing this, James raised his head a little and gazed at Alex. “It's good,” he said. “I think.”

“I could say the same,” Fraser said, as James leaned his head on his shoulder again. “But, I'm not sure about the nature of those four kingdoms.”

Alex raised both his eyebrows. “Which is…?”

Fraser let out a long sigh. “All the kingdoms represent one virtue, right?” he said. When Alex nodded, he continued, “And each of them had a king who represented the said virtue. But what I don't get is,” he then added, gesturing his hands as he said those words, “why do they have to symbolize only one of them? Shouldn't they get all the virtues together? Doesn't make sense.”

Alex went silent. So did James. Will was also silent, but that was because he was already asleep and he probably would not care to listen to him, anyways.

“Don't you think,” Alex then spoke, after a few minutes, “you should ask Miss Forester about it?”

At this, Fraser huffed and crossed his arms again. “As if I would.”

Alex only shook his head and looked back on the window. He watched small buildings and old stores and brick-wall apartment complex houses pass by, until he felt that his eyelids grow heavy. He then leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

 

It was not long before he felt a hand shaking his shoulder. He swatted it off and leaned more on his seat so he could sleep, but he then felt his shoulder being shaken again. He groaned as he opened his eyes, turned to see Will already awake, and glared at him.

“Don't look at me like that, mate,” Will told him, noticing the younger boy's expression. “We're already home.”

Alex's gaze softened. “Oh.” He rubbed his eyes and stretched his arms a little. “Thought we're still on the road?”

Will chuckled. “How long do you think you slept?”

Still rubbing his eyes, Alex hummed and shrugged at him. “Ten seconds, I guess?”

Fraser and James stirred on their seats and opened their eyes as well. James raised his head and gazed out the window, rubbing the side of his neck that started to ache, while Fraser rubbed his eyes as he stared at nowhere, hoping he could get some more sleep.

“I think you lads started to love it here,” the man on the driver's seat said, laughing at them. “You don't ever want to leave.”

“Nope.” Alex opened the door to the backseat and hopped out. Will followed him after, but not without leaving a “thank you” at the man as he knew it was a polite thing to do. Fraser did not go until James patted him and gestured for him to go, which he did, and then James ran out of it the last. 

As soon as he shut the door, the truck reversed and went back on the opposite road. That was when he remembered, and he smacked his face and cursed to himself.

“I've got your guitar,” Will told him, holding the guitar case with one arm.

James grinned and ran toward Will, hugging him as he was saying, “You're a fucking lifesaver, mate!” and then taking the case from him.

Alex strolled a meter from his friends, and stood among the thick canopies of elms and birches. Running a hand through the blades of tall grasses, he looked around the trees as if he was searching for something.

“Alex!” James ran next to him, grabbed his arm and turned him around. He was holding the guitar case with his other hand. “What are you doing?” 

Alex saw Fraser and Will approaching them. He sighed as he drifted his gaze at James.  “I was looking for Miss Forester.”

“She might be round looking for some firewood.” Will stopped next to James, panting a little. Alex assumed he must have heard what he said. “Or maybe some wild vegetables to cook.”

“Will's right.” Fraser stopped just across from the three, but then he went around and walked back to where they were. “Come on, let's go unlock the door.”

Will sighed. “Yeah.” He nodded, and he followed Fraser. Alex and James did the same.

They headed on a dirt path leading to a small white cottage, overgrown with ivy plants and morning glory flowers. Will, James and Alex stepped on the front porch and stayed there waiting for Fraser, who took a spare key under the doormat and then reached for the doorknob.

Will went forward and watched him jigging the doorknob, the key already inserted in the keyhole. “Go faster,” he said, “before I start counting the freckles on your face.”

A loud click was heard, and Fraser twisted on the doorknob and pushed the door wide enough for them to enter. He then turned to Will, narrowing his eyes at him. “You're weird,” he said and stepped inside.

At this, Will rolled his eyes and crossed his arms as he got in with him. “You're one to talk,” he said, “ Mr. ‘I peeped at someone getting undressed in the room’.”

James and Alex snorted and laughed as they went in as well and walked past Fraser and Will. Fraser felt his face heat up.

“Why'd you say that out loud?” He glared at Will, but Will only shrugged and walked away. 

Fraser watched him go and rolled his eyes, and then he turned to the staircase next to him and climbed up there. He walked through the hallway and was about to enter the room he and James shared (on the left side of the hallway), when he noticed a little scroll sitting in the middle of the hallway, just across from the door to Miss Forester’s room.

He looked around to see if anyone was there, and he went closer to the scroll on the floor and reached to pick it up. 

“I suppose that is mine, Fraser.”

He spun his heels and stepped back, eyes wide and mouth agape. Miss Forester was behind him, not a sound made indicating she was already there. He wanted to speak, but he could only utter an “um” at her.

“Do not fret,” Miss Forester said, giving him a smile, “I was looking for that.”

“Oh.” Fraser looked down to find the scroll, and then picked it up and handed it to the woman. “Here you go.”

Miss Forester took it from him and thanked him. Fraser only nodded at her and then excused himself to go back downstairs. Which he did.

Once he reached downstairs, he went through the hallway and headed for the doorway to the kitchen. There, he saw Will leaning on the counter next to the sink with an apple on one hand, and James and Alex sitting and tossing some wood at the fireplace. They had removed their jackets and piled them on a round table, leaving them in handmade sweaters. James' guitar case was placed on the corner.

“Did you see Miss Forester going up the stairs?” Fraser asked.

The three boys raised their heads, staring at him. It was as if Fraser had shed his skin and revealed himself to be a lizard. 

“She's here now?” Alex asked.

“Huh,” Will said, “never heard her come in earlier.”

James shook his head. “Not me, either.”

“Well,” Fraser said, now entering the kitchen, “she almost gave me a heart attack right there.” He then stood next to Will. “Swear to God, she's a witch.”

“Oi, she ain't one,” Will told him, now taking a bite of the apple and handing it to the latter. “Want an apple?”

Fraser shook his head. “No, thank you.” He gave him a small smile. Will just shrugged and placed the now-bitten apple on the counter.

Miss Forester then walked into the kitchen, carrying more firewood in her arms. Will and Fraser moved away from the counter and approached her. James and Alex got up and dusted their hands, and then approached her as well.

“Is the firewood already set?” Miss Forester asked. She let the boys take the firewood from her arms.

“Yes, Miss Forester,” Alex said, smiling at her as he was getting more wood from her. “We'll just have to fire that up.”

Miss Forester smiled back and turned to the counter. The boys then piled up more of the wood into the fireplace, and then stopped when it was all set. Alex turned to get the matches, but then he noticed Miss Forester gone.

“Did she leave already?” Alex turned back to his friends. They gazed at him and noticed Miss Forester's absence as well, but they only shrugged.

“What's even new, mate?” James asked. “She's just there for a minute, and then she's gone the next.”

At this, Fraser huffed. “If that didn’t convince you she's a witch,” he said, “then I don't know what else would.”


End file.
